It Can't Be Worse

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 3rd November 2005

Characters: Aivorn, Theyzen
Description: Aivorn and the new woodsmith discuss the state of his stables
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 3

"Bloody beasts" Aivorn swore and inspected the stall's door. A runner had kicked thru it again. He heard footsteps and turned to look. An apprentice was leading a young man carrying tools and blanks. "You the woodcrafter?" the masterbeastcrafter asked.

"Yes, sir," Theyzen replied as he set down his load. "I heard you had a runner kicking down a door?"

"Yes" he pointed the door. "Can you fix it? Any way to make it kick-proof?" "Kick-proof?" the woodcrafter smiled. "I think you would need a smith to make it out lead, but I don't think you would like the effect that you would have on the runners."

"You're right, that wouldn't be good" Aivorn replied. He suddenly realized that he didn't know the woodcrafter's name. "How rude of of me, I haven't intruduced myself. I'm master Aivorn, a beastcrafter." "My name is Theyzen," the younger man replied. "I just came in from the Woodcraft Hall."

"And you get pushed right into the work" Aivorn almost chuckled.
"Unfortunately, the beastholds will bring you lot of work. There's always something in need of fixing around here." "Well, I can see if I can't make any improvements on this door," the woodsmith said as he inspected it. "I can already tell you part of the problem was in the wood. I don't know who chose this wood, but I think given another turn even my son could have kicked through it."

"I don't know either" Aivorn shrugged. "The problem is that this place is old. Older than your and my age added together." "Well, then, I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of me." Theyzen took opened his tool box and found something to remove the hinges with. "Look at all these circles around these nails here. The nails kept working out and had to be pounded back in it looks like. I'm amazed this thing has held together so long."

"This place keeps falling apart" Aivorn commented, watching the journeyman's work. He seemed to know what he was doing the master beastcrafter noticed with satisfaction. "More than just the doors?" the woodcrafter asked as he lifted it off its hinges. It was a hard job. The hinges were as old as the wood had been!

"Aye, last sevenday we had mason fixing the wall above outdoor. We had pieces of rock showering down every time someone closed the door too hard." "I'm surprised no one has suggested rebuilding this place." The woodsmith threw the door down in disgust. It would be easier just to make a whole new gate than to try to fix that one. Nothing was worth saving.

"Well, it's been suggested few times. But lot's of things has been happening around here and no one has got the time or marks for it. Maybe now things will settle down and people start thinking things like the state of the builds" Aivorn replied, remembering recent turmoils and few older ones he had experienced during his twenty odd turns in Emerald Falls. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to work every day in a place that stones were falling down on my head." He shoot his head as he looked down at the sorry excuse for a door. "Are they all this bad?"

"No, some of them had been repaired over the turns." "Well, at least that's hopeful." The woodsmith took out his tape and began taking measurements for a new stable door. "I will have to talk to the smiths about a new hinge. I think I will make the door a bit thicker, so it will be a bit heavier. Can you wait for a couple days to have this door back up?"

"Only until next Threadfall day" Aivorn warned. "I have to get all beasts inside for the Fall." Theyzen nodded. "I can have the gate up by then. And I think you will be pretty happy with it."

"Well, it can't be worse than the old one" Aivorn snorted.

Last updated on the November 27th 2005

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It Can't Be Worse